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Personalized life-changing travel guidance
Your journey begins! The entire NuMundo team is excited to hear your stories as you embark on a new adventure. Refer to this guide to light your way. Since you want to travel in early 2018, we chose locations with good warm weather during that time period.
Costa Rica
Puerto Viejo in Caribbean side of Costa Rica has great access to local herbalism and Hidden Garden is our top pick for your journey. They are home to a unique collection of plants that represent the ethnobotany of the area and a research library to promote the academic documentation of local wellness traditions.
Hidden Garden offers wellness services such as health counseling, therapeutic bodywork and botanical therapies, as well as educational activities such as Yoga, Medicine Garden Tour and Traditional Latino Medicine courses. The Hidden Garden provides individualized attention in a tranquil environment for you to make the best out of your transformational vacation. This way, you can design your own journey at your own pace with Hidden Garden as your home-base.
If you’d like to attend an event there and are traveling in February, check out their retreat, Women’s Wisdom Traditions: Multicultural Approaches to Feminine Wellness. Their invitation is to explore ancient women’s wisdom traditions from across the globe through movement, herbalism, self care, and body consciousness & energy work. Featuring 10+ experts in female wellness–including international teacher Rachel Thomas, Sara Wu of Medicines from the Edge, and Abuela Carmen Carmahuaca–this immersion focuses on the practical application of weaving traditional medicine into your life and the lives of your clients. The group will explore traditional uses of plant medicine, movement, ritual to explore the ancient ways women have cared for themselves and their communities. In an intimate circle of peers, the rich jungle of the South Caribbean will serve as your fertile soil to learn, connect, uncover, and heal. Prices are discounted until Dec 15th.
One of the most biodiverse regions of Costa Rica is the Osa Peninsula where you’re bound to see macaws and monkeys on a daily basis. Metamorphosis Gathering is a new gathering hosted on a sustainable farm along the beach. Metamorphosis Gathering weaves new relationships into our lives by focusing first on connecting with our authentic selves, in order to network with existing communities that will guide us in morphing our dreams into reality. Intertwining the permaculture principles and practices with facilitated processes for transformation, they aim to share knowledge and teach life skills towards creating a more regenerative, natural way of life.
This event welcomes and honors elders that have many years of practice in their respective fields. There will be five elders each holding space to share their wisdom with us on Mind, Body, Spirit, Emotion and Vibration. Each one holding its place in the harmony of the whole as we each do our part in humanity’s collective transformation. If you’re interested in this event definitely snag a cabin or you’ll be camping by the ocean which doesn’t sound so bad either. Just know that their beach is a little rocky, it’s not the pristine sandy beach you may be used to. Also, the environment is very casual and has a young spirit to it. The land project where this event is held is Finca Morpho and they are typically very flexible about staying or volunteering before or after their events, just send them a message inquiring.
Just a few days after this gathering is the annual Envision Festival that most participants will probably go to. If you’re ready to party, this is your destination: Video
VerdEnergia Pacifica is an intentional permaculture community and reforestation project in the mountains of Lanas de Puriscal, Costa Rica. They are a cooperative dedicated to ecosystem regeneration and sustainable lifestyle creation, experimenting with practices that serve our land base and withdraw legitimacy from the unsustainable structures and habits of our cultures. They aim to transform today’s convergence of global crises into opportunities to unite, educate, and co-create a more conscious, just, and abundant way of life for ourselves and generations to come. VerdEnergia Pacifica has a fun vibe and they still get work done in a less structured way. We suggest this center because they are flexible about volunteers coming for any period of time and it feels like you’re living in paradise in the middle of nowhere.
Contact – Website – Facebook – Instagram
Since your visit is just a few weeks, we did not list one of our favorite centers that require a longer stay, PunaMona. However, keep an eye out for their 2018 JungleCamp, a 5 day transformational camp for adults, off-the-grid on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast, where they celebrate freedom, movement, permaculture and community creation.
Guatemala
This is a wild card that could prove to be incredibly fun for you. Cacao Convergence is an immersive experience in the jungle of Alta Verapaz. Experience Mayan culture, cacao culture, and cacao forests of the Guatemayan heartland. Taste the fruits of paradise. Eat and drink chocolate to your heart’s desire in its many preparations and forms, learn about the process behind chocolate, from bean to cup and bar. Meet local cacao farmers as you explore the beautiful lush Keq’chi Mayan territory.
Program
Cacao Ceremony – Cacao ceremonies have been practices by Mayan and Aztec cultures for centuries, due to their heart-opening, mind focusing qualities; connecting the community together while bringing a deeper sense of self. This medicine is being adopted today by Westerners as we take the first steps away from an industrialized, disconnected, chemical-heavy society on our journey back to source of life. Mayan elders will lead us through this sacred tradition back to the heart.
Growing Cacao – We are surrounded by cacao forest, and find ourselves in direct contact with this sacred plant. Why is this plant so revered by ancient and modern-day cultures alike? Meet cacao farmers, learn about the processes of cultivation and fermentation, taste the fruit, and spend time with the trees in their native endemic habitat.
Making Chocolate – Learn from Guatemala’s premier chocolatiers how to make chocolate. From hot chocolate, truffles to tempered bars, you will make a variety of delicious treats while learning about the tools, techniques, alchemy, and science behind one of the world’s most sacred treats.
Cacao History & Mythology Cacao comes from the land of the Ancient Maya and the plant is symbolic and highly valued. In fact, at one point, the beans were used as currency for trade. Listen to the history and folklore from the region about this sacred plant that shaped the Maya civilization.
Cacao Cuisine The hand-crafted locally sourced meals will include special chocolate treats. The dynamic flavors of cacao, from savory to sweet, will be added to the culinary experience. Mole sauce, chocolate vinaigrette, vegan mousse and refreshing drinks like tejate and teas will be enjoyed throughout the event.
Cacao Cosmetics – Our body is our largest organ and it protects us from ultraviolet sunlight and dangerous microbes. Do you give your skin the attention it deserves? Learn how to care for our skin by making cacao butter products like chapstick and salves.
Mayan Sacred Fire Ceremony The fire ceremony gives life and energy to all those who participate. The sacred fire is the centerpiece of rituals and ceremonies in the Mayan culture. For thousands of years, the Maya have engaged in sacred fire ceremony to honor the four directions, invokethe nawals or energies of the calendar while communicating and receiving messaged from the ancestors. Experience a traditional fire ceremony, give thanks to Mother Earth, and feel the warmth of community around the fire.
Cacao Agroforestry Walk and Harvest Step into the mystical cacao forest and learn from experienced cacao farmers about the diverse orchard, how to care for the trees, and identify different varieties of cacao. Then, harvest a mountain of ripe cacao pods that we will process into chocolate.
Hands-on Permaculture – Permaculture is one of the most valuable and potent technologies accessible to humans today. It gives us the tools to plant and water the seeds of the new system. It is grounded in ancient indigenous traditions. It is more than growing food – it is growing and cultivating life. Be immersed in a living, breathing permaculture education center, and learn both hands-on techniques and their conceptual foundations from internationally renowned professional permaculture instructors and local experts.
Yoga – Yoga has been in existence for thousands of years, but has never been so popular as it is today. Yoga is a powerful practice that aligns mind, body, and spirit in the cultivation of awareness and presence. When we achieve this state of presence, we can bring it with us into each moment of the day.
Ecstatic Dance – An international lineup of sound designers will weave a sonic tapestry rooted in tradition. Grounded in the ancient practice of the trance dance ritual, ecstatic dance ceremony is a technology that has been utilized by our ancestors around the world to dissolve individual ego barriers, resolve interpersonal tensions, and strengthen collective community bonds.
Many participants will probably come from Cosmic Convergence which happens during New Years Eve a week prior. Cosmic Convergence is primarily a party however it’s a smaller gathering so you get to meet people in a more sincere way and there are workshops to attend during the day. You could plan a trip that includes Cosmic Convergence, a few days in Lake Atitlan and the ends at the Cocao Convergence. There are transportation packages available.
Intro to Permaculture at Atitlan Organics. Another great option for early January is this course that covers the basics of “sustainable design”. Permaculture is like a design-thinking lens that applies to anything in your life or work. This weeklong intensive is designed to provide course participants with a solid foundation in permaculture design and practical techniques to begin experimenting on their own, in their own climate. About one third of the course is lecture, group discussions, and other class activities. Another third is hands-on practical work that demonstrates effective techniques for alternative living. And the last third is dedicated to field visits and trips around the lake to connect with local farmers, explore the area, and truly see the permaculture principles in action. The price includes three meals a day, plus snacks, coffee/tea, and dessert, as well as shared lodging, all at the swanky Bambu Guest House. We can accommodate all dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten- or dairy-free and more. All animal products are sustainably produced and harvested on our farm, by ourselves. This class is offered once in January, February and March.
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala has so much to see as a visitor. One of their best projects is called Maya Traditions Foundation. They offer the following experiences:
Immersive Natural dyes and Backstrap weaving workshop in San Juan la Laguna (2 days)
Learn about traditional and typical weaving techniques from San Juan la Laguna and dye thread naturally to use in the woven piece made by yourself on the next day.
Traditional textile tour in Nahualá and Salcajá (2 days)
Enjoy an immersive experience in Maya culture and art by visiting an artisan cooperative to learn about traditional Maya weaving in the Jaspe and brocade styles that are typical of the area.
1-Week Immersive Trip in Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlan & Quetzaltenango
Discover the Mayan Culture of the Highlands from Chichicastenango to Quetzaltenango through stunning lake Atitlan and experience backstrap weaving, traditional cooking, Maya ceremony in an authentic and personalized trip.
Definitely consider exploring Lake Atitlan on your own. There are small towns surrounding a lake that can all be visited by boat. Panajachel is the hub, San Pedro is a laid-back town great for backpackers, and San Marcos is good for those who want to meditate and practice yoga together. You can learn more about each of these hubs here.
That’s it! We hope that we offered a broad enough range of experiences in multiple locations. Definitely refer to Wikitravel.org to discover the basics of each region and travel smart.
> Backpacking – My favorite down-to-earth and straight forward backpacking list and guide is Travel Independent.
> Meeting People – Use Facebook Groups to find the latest events and meetups in the region you’re traveling in. For example: Spirit Events Sacred Valley for events just outside Cusco in Peru. Use keywords like “events, permaculture, expats, expatriates, healers” etc. Don’t be afraid to talk to other travelers in hostels ; ).
> Travel Insurance – I recommend World Packers for international travel & health coverage on your journey.
It was awesome connecting with you, wishing you a beautiful journey! Please keep us updated on your travels with photos and videos: Bryan@numundo.org.
